Ben Burrito
by Devin Trinidad
Summary: "Ben Burrito! Ben Burrito!" All of them chanted that exact phrase while Ben continued to struggle and swear (a fact that surprised Klaus greatly). (Pre-TVseries)


In the Hargreeves family, there were no such things as normal siblings with normal family relationships. They could act all they wanted out in public, but at home… At home, Ben sometimes felt a little left out. Allison and Luther were attached at the hip, Diego liked being on his own, Klaus had his drugs, and Five… Five had Vanya. It wasn't like Ben to feel bitter and resentful against his siblings, but he was alone.

Ben didn't want to admit to his baser human instincts, but there were times where he could care less about the first four—although, Klaus did have his moments. Of his siblings, Five and Vanya were the ones he considered himself the closest to. Five understood him on the intellectual level; often, he acquiesced to discussing the reading their tutors gave them and they would laugh about human folly and mathematical equations together. And then, there was Vanya…

Vanya had it the easiest and the worst of their siblings. When they were younger and still allowed to play with ordinary toys and sessions with their father didn't last long, Vanya and Ben were usually together. They were the quietest of the lot and they bonded with small acts of imagination and pomp. However, that all changed once the children gained their tattoos and their training slowly morphed into dangerous stunts. That was when Ben found himself losing his bond with Vanya and Five began strengthening his relationship with his sister. Yet, like all things, his detachment from his sister didn't last long.

Ben began feeling sympathy for his poor sister. She was always absent from family matters and no one really talked to her during the day. Sometimes, if Ben were feeling up to it, he would talk to his sister, but there just wasn't the feeling that they were siblings anymore.

It was like talking to a stranger within the confines of their so called "home".

Soon, what started as pity quickly became a longing to be closer with his sister.

After a few meetings that were somewhat stunted by Ben's shyness and Vanya's near emotionless answers (no doubt from the anxiety medication that she was on), they would often discuss stories and poetry. It was a passion they both shared; although, his was born from true fascination with the writers of old, while hers stemmed from the fact that she had too much free time.

Other times, he would read books while Vanya practiced in her room. During these times, Five would sometimes deign them with his presence with small exclamations about some breakthrough or whatever concerning his math equations. All three would start debating on whether or not Five's theories were sound before either dissolving into hysterical laughter (hushed, because their dear father didn't appreciate loud noises), or surprise when they found that Five was _right_.

It was during those times that Ben found himself at peace. Even the monster within his body seemed to calm and settle without too much fuss.

And then, on one drizzling day, Klaus came.

They were still in the throes of adolescence, their bodies still hoarding whatever baby fat that stubbornly clung to them. Despite his young features, Klaus still managed to get some certain drugs that, for some odd reason, were not yet found out by their father. If Ben didn't know any better, he would have thought that their father already knew and was utilizing Four as an experiment. Ben could already hear him, "_I wonder if Number Four would have adverse reactions to drugs_."

Regardless of the reason, Klaus had somehow ended up in Vanya's cozy, if cramped bedroom and was now trying to roll a joint in his unsteady fingers. Five, as always, was the first to act.

"Can I try?" He had asked so seriously, Ben thought Five was serious. Then, when the sixth sibling happened to glance at his dear brother, he began to realize that Five was actually really serious. At Ben's horrified glance, Five shrugged. "Best to get some life experiences before Dad finds out."

Vanya stopped plucking at the strings on her violin. "You can't be serious." She turned to Klaus. "Whatever you think of doing, don't even try doing it."

That was the longest sentence she had ever spoken in the presence of Klaus.

Klaus must have sensed that this was a breakthrough due to his other brother's shared looks of awe because he clapped his hands excitedly. "Children, children! These drugs are not meant for you; let Papa Klaus enjoy his ambrosia of the gods." And with that, Klaus continued to roll his joint before pulling out a lighter from one of his pockets.

"Papa Klaus?" Five wrinkled his noise before shutting his notebook. "That sounds so disturbing."

"Yeah," Ben added as an afterthought. "Please don't procreate or become a religious leader."

"After the hell dear old Dad puts us through?" Klaus finally lit his joint and took a drag. "Pretty sure we're all atheists at this point." Klaus took another breath of the drug before pointing at Ben. "'Cept for Ben. He's too nice to be an atheist."

"I'm nice?" He grinned a little at the supposed compliment. "Just nice? Too nice to have a go?"

"Ben! Five!" Vanya had finally put down her violin as she rounded upon them with concern in her eyes. "Stop, we're just kids and Klaus—"

"Oooh, me?"

"Stop smoking in my room!" Vanya made as if to shove Klaus out the door, but due to strength training, the taller boy just stood firm and looked down at her with a grin so evil, Ben thought his face was about to crack open. "Come on, get!"

Klaus pretended to moan before falling on top of Vanya's much shorter frame. Together, they managed to their limbs tangled together as a heap on the floor, Klaus had burst out laughing while Vanya had ended up grumbling to herself.

That was when Ben had a startling idea. Once the idea had taken root in his mind, he cast away his guilt and locked eyes with Five. Together, they grabbed the pillows and blankets from Vanya's bed and—

Both brothers fell atop their fallen siblings in one of the weirdest dog piles the world had ever seen. Klaus got tangled in the blankets, Vanya had commandeered the pillow and was punishing everyone with it, and Five was busy trying to tickle Ben. The end resulted in a bunch of schoolchildren nearly passed out on the floor.

That was when Klaus had another idea.

Joint now forgotten, Klaus rubbed his belly and said, "I could go for a burrito." No one missed the mischievous glint in his eyes or the emphasis on the word burrito. "Specifically a—"

"Outta here—" Ben tried to leave, but both Five and Vanya held him down. "Guys I'm serious—"

"Ben Burrito, guys!" Klaus whacked Ben on the head with a pillow. "A Benito!"

"Wasn't that guy a fascist dictator?" Vanya asked as she tickled Ben into submission. "Benito Mussi—something?"

Five nodded his head, mind absent as he put Ben in a headlock and Klaus tried to wrap Ben in a blanket.

"Ben Burrito! Ben Burrito!"

All of them chanted that exact phrase while Ben continued to struggle and swear (that surprised Klaus quite a bitl he hadn't expected his dear little brother to have that much dirt in his mouth). However, all of the tickling and the struggling had somewhat sedated the sixth member of the family. He finally relaxed and let his siblings wrap him up in a blanket so that he could become the Ben Burrito.

It felt nice. To be tickled and tackled by his siblings… maybe he wasn't alone as he thought he was.

"Extra toppings for the Ben Burrito!" Klaus jumped on top of his body while the other two followed suit.

Never mind, he thought.

"You guys all suck!" He yelled as he tried to escape the Ben Burrito.


End file.
